FEAR of retaliation put the oldest mosque in northern Europe and the Muslim community in the Woking area on alert following the brutal murder of serving soldier Lee Rigby in London on Wednesday (May 22).

Members of the Muslim community took turns keeping an eye on the Shah Jahan Mosque in Maybury overnight into Thursday after Drummer Rigby - a 25-year-old father of one from from Middleton in Greater Manchester - was hacked to death in Woolwich.

He was mown down by a car before being butchered and beheaded with knives and meat cleavers.

Prime Minister David Cameron said there were strong indications it was a terrorist-related incident.

Speaking on Thursday, Kauser Akhtar, wife of Imam Hafiz Hashmi at Shah Jahan Mosque and a faith links adviser for the Diocese of Guildford, said: “Obviously the Muslim community are as shocked as everybody else.

“There is a fear of mosques being attacked as retaliation.

“I want to reassure the community that Muslims do not accept this type of brutality. We want to get justice as well as everybody else.

“According to Islam, killing one innocent life is like killing all of humanity. This is how seriously Islam takes it.

“We are operating as usual, we are just on alert," she added.

Mosques were targeted in Gillingham, Kent, and Braintree, Essex, in the wake of the savage murder.

A statement released on the Shah Jahan Mosque website said: “The Shah Jahan Mosque and its community are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of today’s [Wednesday's] attack.

“The mosque being a friend of the British Armed Forces and AFMA (British Armed Forces Muslim Association) stand together and completely condemn the brutal and heartless attack at Woolwich.

“This brutality goes against the teachings of Islam, it is as though they have killed all mankind.

“Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of the victim.”

Inter-faith charity, Woking People of Faith (WPOF), also released a statement on Thursday strongly condemning the killing.

It read: “WPOF represents a range of faiths, which all call for peace and do not endorse any form of destruction of human lives.

“We do not accept that any faith justifies such a brutal attack and killing.

“All of Woking’s faith communities, including the Muslim communities, recognise and admire the valuable work of the British Armed Forces and their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way to protect us.

“WPOF calls upon all communities and faith groups to unite to resist and speak out against any adverse reprisals arising from this cowardly act.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family during this distressing time."

Two men have been arrested in connection with the murder, while another man and woman have been held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.